By Tashi McQueen
AFRO Staff Writer
tmcqueen@afro.com
Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott (D) and several other leaders recently announced that the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament will continue to call Baltimore home through 2029.
“This is about much more than a basketball tournament or extra dollars,” said Scott on June 18 at the Baltimore Visitor Center for the announcement. “This is about a relationship, balance and partnership that we have with one another that we continue to build on together as we continue to chart the legacy of both CIAA and Baltimore. In this moment when everything Black is under attack, we have to uplift and protect our Black institutions and Black spaces in every way that we can.”
CIAA is the oldest historically Black athletic conference in the U.S., and Baltimore has been hosting it since 2021, virtually, and since 2022, in-person.
“This city has done more than just host us,” said Jacqie McWilliams-Parker, commissioner of the CIAA. “You’ve wrapped your arms around our student athletes, our fans, our alumni, our culture not just by words but by your actions.”
CIAA has been hosted in Washington, D.C., Norfolk and Richmond, Va. and Raleigh and Greensboro, N.C. The 2025 tournament in Baltimore produced a total economic influence of $27.4 million and a direct spending impact of $19.8 million. The tournament created 1,487 full-time and part-time jobs and yielded $2.4 million in state and local taxes.
In a statement the Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) highlighted that over the last three years, the CIAA tournament has generated $109 million in total economic impact for Baltimore.
“Its continued presence will not only boost our economy but also advance our shared commitment to equity and opportunity for all Marylanders,” said Moore.
This conference will continue to include the community-driven events such as Education Day, the Career Expo and Fan Fest presented by Nationwide that are central to tournament week. CIAA also renewed its partnership with Under Armour, which has provided apparel and footwear for student-athletes during tournament week.
The 13 member institutions included in their conferences are Bowie State University, Bluefield State University, Claflin University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C. Smith University, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Livingstone College, Saint Augustine’s University, Shaw University, Virginia State University, Virginia Union University and Winston-Salem State University
The next CIAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament will take place in Baltimore from February 24 to March 1, 2026.